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Agreeing with the Texas House, the Texas Senate passed a bill early Monday that would allow faith-based foster care and adoption agencies to refuse to place children with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender households over religious objections.

The vote was 21-10, with Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. of Brownsville the only Democrat who voted in favor. The bill heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.

He said that if the bill did not pass, it could mean a potential loss of 25 percent of foster care placement agencies, some of whom have suspended services because of fear of being sued for exerting their religious freedoms.

“The state should embrace a diversity of providers,” Perry said. “The right of religious freedom seems to be under persecution.”

Opponents said the bill would allow for state-sanctioned discrimination under the guise of religion, favoring conservative Christian beliefs — and potential objections to non-Christian, single or LGBT Texans — over the welfare of children.

“I’m concerned it’s about protecting agencies and not the interest of the child,” Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, said. “You basically give them a pass.”

Garcia and Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, also had concerns that foster children would not receive necessary medical attention, vaccinations and access to contraceptives based on foster parents’ religious beliefs. Perry said that the bill would ensure that foster children would retain access to medical care.

Democrats attempted to tack on a half dozen amendments that would have ensured that foster children’s rights, including based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, were prioritized over that of the agencies, but they failed.